If bathing with strangers isn’t your cup of tea, you can book one of the private hot spring baths with Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu (草津温泉 源泉一乃湯), even if you are just a day guest. The hotel is also a great accommodation choice for those who prefer to enjoy the local cuisine instead of dinner prepared by a hotel/ryokan chef. The best thing about the hotel is that it includes a free breakfast!
Table of Contents
- About Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
- The Guestrooms at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
- Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Free Breakfast
- Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Public Baths
- Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Private Baths
- Things to Note Before Booking Your Stay at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
- How to Get to Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
About Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
On the way to the communal bathhouse, Jizō no Yu, there is a refined traditional Japanese-style complex atop the staircases from Yubatake. Originally a ryokan founded over a hundred years ago, this complex is now a stylish ryokan dedicated to those who wish to have a fancy stay without needing to dine in their hotels.
You will be amazed when the traditional warehouse-style automatic door opens up. The interior design of Ichinoyu is just awe-inspiring. The Japanese and Western elements balance out so well that there is no disharmony!
Ichinoyu’s Convenient Services at the Front Gate
Immediately next to the front gate is a locker-type shoe cabinet. Each locker has a pair of traditional geta sandals for guests to wear when they want to stroll in the town center or visit Kusatsu Onsen’s public baths.
The geta sandals are cushioned, making them more comfortable to wear than the traditional wooden ones. But somehow, it was a little bit tiring to wear them compared to the sneakers as I needed to control my feet in a way that the sandals wouldn’t fly off as I walked (´▽｀*). Nevertheless, I would still recommend wearing the geta sandals for foot spas and public baths because you don’t need to dry your feet before putting on shoes.
A basket of clean towels is placed at the entrance for guests to take with them to enjoy the hot spring town’s various foot spas (refer to the 2nd photo in the Instagram post). Remember to return the used towel and leave it in the dirty tower basket. Those towels aren’t disposable and are not for you to take home.
Like other hotels in Kusatsu Onsen, ryokan’s umbrellas are also found inside the front gate in case the ryokan guests need one (refer to the 3rd photo in the Instagram post).
The Guestrooms at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu has 10 types of guestrooms for you to choose from, including those with a hot spring tub in your room. The spacious layout of their 44 guestrooms will overturn the stereotype of an accommodation facility that doesn’t include meals.
If you prefer to cook for yourself, you can also book a room with a kitchenette. From cooking utensils, tableware, and basic seasonings, talk to the reception staff. You can borrow everything there without extra charges!
We were surprised by the size of our room as we were so used to small rooms in Japan, and we only paid 25,600 yen for the night. But after taking a peek into other rooms while the staff were cleaning in the morning, it seemed like the ryokan’s guestrooms were all spacious!
In addition to the small kitchenette, there were also two traditional-style carry bags in the wardrobe (refer to the 6th photo in the Instagram post). They were handy when we just wanted to take a short stroll around the town. Instead of taking our backpacks, we threw our wallets and phones into the carry bags and off we went!
A pair of disposable traditional-style sucks (the 6th photo in the IG post) were also found on the yukata (simple kimono worn to the bathhouses). The sucks go hand-in-hand with the geta sandals in the shoe lockers at the front entrance.
Lastly, the painting on the wall against the bed is an old map from the Edo period. It was fun comparing the township back then with the current Kusatsu Onsen map (refer to the last photo in the Instagram post)!
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Free Breakfast
Ichinoyu provides its guests with free breakfast each morning. Upon check-in, the staff will ask for your preferred time for breakfast. The buffet-style breakfast was served near the reception. While there weren’t many choices and it was definitely lacking vegetarian side dishes, at least we didn’t need to pay extra.
After grabbing the food, you are free to sit at any unoccupied tables or sofas on the same floor. We reckon the bar counter is the best spot to have breakfast as the counter is high enough for eating and cutting the food. The sofas are comfortable but not suitable for dining because the tables nearby are too low.
Tip: Utilize the phrases in our Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Vegetarians and Vegans article to check with the staff about what you can eat for breakfast.
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Public Baths
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s large indoor public bath sources its hot spring from Yubatake. Indulging in the onsen is the perfect way to rejuvenate and alleviate skin diseases. The onsen will also make your skin glow!
After a hot spring session, remember to stay hydrated at the free drink bar corner (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ. The good thing about the drink bar is it is accessible throughout your stay. So if at any time you want a cup of tea or coffee after you check in, you can!
There are round, small onsen tubs in the public bath area. If you visit Ichinoyu with your same-gender friends, you can chat with each other while enjoying the hot spring in your own onsen tub!
Our only complaint was that while there were four onsen pools/tubs, the water temperature was around the same. It would be better if one of them had a higher temperature.
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s Private Baths
For those who require privacy, you can spend extra money to enjoy the hot spring at one of the seven private hot spring baths. Instead of sourcing the hot spring from Yubatake, some use the onsen gushing out from underneath the hotel!
- The cost to rent a private hot spring bath:
- 3,200 yen for 45 minutes (4,000 yen for day visitors)
- 6,400 yen for 90 minutes (8,000 yen for day visitors)
- 8,000 yen for 120 minutes (10,000 yen for day visitors)
- You can rent it from 12 pm to 9 am the next day if you are a hotel guest.
- The last admission is at 8 am.
- For a day visitor, you can rent the private hot spring bath from 10 am to 8 pm.
- Please make a reservation through the official website HERE.
Things to Note Before Booking Your Stay at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
- Ichinoyu doesn’t have a lift/elevator.
- The ryokan doesn’t have a direct pick-up service from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. The hotel group’s free shuttle bus service’s nearest bus stop is at Yubatake. This means taking the shuttle bus wouldn’t make sense if you have luggage because you wouldn’t want to drag your luggage up a long staircase.
- Renovated from an old ryokan, the soundproofing might not be as good.
- But we didn’t hear any noise during our stay.
- Remember to bring your towel before heading to the public bath.
How to Get to Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu
- Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu is a 5-minute walk from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal.
- From Yubatake, it takes less than 3 minutes to get to the ryokan.
Discover Other Attractions in Kusatsu Onsen
After you have your accommodation sorted, the next step is probably finding out where in the hot spring town you want to explore!
In addition to the public bathhouses, Kusatsu Onsen has much more to offer. Whether it is soba noodles, traditional sweets or outdoor activities, such as obstacle courses and skiing, you surely won’t be bored at Kusatsu Onsen!
For more information, refer to our article on Kusatsu Onsen (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
